Evaluation of the fate of arsenic-contaminated groundwater at different aquifers of Thar coalfield Pakistan

In present study, the ground water at different aquifers was evaluated for physicochemical parameters, iron, total arsenic, total inorganic arsenic and arsenic species (arsenite and arsenate). The samples of groundwater were collected at different depths, first aquifer (AQ(1)) 50-60 m, second aquifer (AQ(2)) 100-120 m, and third aquifer (AQ(3)) 200-250 m of Thar coalfield, Pakistan. Total inorganic arsenic was determined by solid phase extraction using titanium dioxide as an adsorbent. The arsenite was determined by cloud point extraction using ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate as a chelating reagent, and resulted complex was extracted by Triton X-114. The resulted data of groundwater were reported in terms of basic statistical parameters, principal component, and cluster analysis. The resulted data indicated that physicochemical parameters of groundwater of different aquifers were exceeded the World Health Organization provisional guideline for drinking water except pH and SO42-. The positive correlation was observed between arsenic species and physicochemical parameters of groundwater except F- and K+, which might be caused by geochemical minerals. Results of cluster analysis indicated that groundwater samples of AQ(1) was highly contaminated with arsenic species as compared to AQ(2) and AQ(3) (p > 0.05).